Telephone-exchange switchboard.



` c. o'D. LEE, JR. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SWITCHBOARD.

APPucAnoN man 1MM, 1914.

` m Patented A101220, 1915.

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W MII YHE NOHRIS PETERS C0.. PNO'I'DJJIHO.. WASHINGTUN. D. C.

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n rien COLUMBUS ODONNELL LEE, JR., OF BALTIMORE, `MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TOCOLUMBUS ODONNELL LEE, SR., 0F BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND.

TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE SWITGI-IBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2U, MM5.

Application filed January 7, 191,4. Serial No. 810.708.

To all 'who-m t may concern Be it known that I, COLUMBUS ODONNELL LEE,Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, Stateof Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTelephone Exchange Switchboards, of which the following is aspecication.

The primary object of this invention 1s to effect a reduction in thenumber of operators required to operate a central energy multipletelephone switchboard during inactive hours, or when the full quota ofoperators is not necessary.

For the purpose of illustration, we will take the case of a modern Belltelephone exchange, having a switchboard in which terminates severalthousand subscribers lines. Such switchboards are divided into sections,and each section contains line jacks for the total number ofsubscribers. These sections are duplicated along the board, and the linejacks of the several sections are connected in multiple. Eachswitchboard section is made up of a plurality or' panels, and each ofthese panels contains a number of blocks of said jacks, there being onehundred jacks in each block.

Beneath the line jacks are the answering jacks. These answering jacks,however, are not concentrated in sections connected in multiple, as arethe line jacks, but are distributed throughout the length of theswitchboard, and for each of these answering jacks there is an answeringsignal lamp located directly below its respective answering jack. Duringthe hours of heavy traiic the usual quota of operators is employed, andthere may be several operators to each section of the switchboard, butduring hours of light load, as at night, for example, the number ofoperators is decreased, which greatly increases the area of theswitchboard to be covered by each operator, and as the answering signalsare scattered considerably, it still requires quite a number ofoperators to take care of the board.

lThe object of my invention is to reduce the number of operatorsrequired to operate the board during inactive hours, and I accomplishthis by concentrating, in effect, the answering signals into acomparatively small area. More specifically, this is accomplished byproviding an auxiliary signaling board, having a signal lamp for eachsubscriber of the exchange, and connecting these several lamps inmultiple with the regular line answering signal lamps of the mainswitchboard so that an attendant at this auxiliary signal board mayreadily see any subscribers line signal which lights up. This attendantmakes known the signal either by telephone, or otherwise, to one of theswitchboard operators who then plugs in, answers the call, and makes theconnection. This invention, therefore, contemplates the concentration ina relatively small board, of answering signals corresponding to all ofthe line jacks of a single switchboard section, which in turncorresponds to the total number of subscribers lines.

In order to more fully describe my invention, reference will be had tothe accompanying drawing which represents in diagram a portion of acentral energy multiple telephone switchboard equipped with myinvention.

ln the accompanying drawing A, B, C; A, B, C represents panels of themain board, the panels A, B, C constituting one section, and the panelsA', B', C another section of the board, it being understood that thesepanels are repeated along the switchboard the required number of times,according to the well known practice.

The blocks of circles l, on the main board, indicate the subscribersline jacks, there being in practice usually one hundred of these jacksin each block. ln the drawing all of these blocks are not filled out, asthis would require unnecessary drawing. The switchboard section A, B, C,in the case shown, contains eighteen hundred such jacks, representingthe full capacity of the board, and the other sections containduplicates of these jacks, connected in multiple therewith, as is wellunderstood by those familiar with this art.

The answer signal lamps 2 are indicated by blocks or large circles inthe panels below the line jacks, and the answer jacks by the smallercircles 2 above their corresponding signal lamps.

In a relatively small auxiliary board 8, l locate auxiliary signal lamps4, and connect each main answer signal lamp 2 in multiple with aseparate one of lamps 4. These lamps 4L, therefore, correspond in numberto the total number of line jacks l in any section of the mainswitchboard, so that there is an auxiliary signal lamp for eachsubscribers line. Lamps 4 are arranged in blocks of one hundred-to theblock in the same order as the line jacks 1, and the auxiliary board ispreferably divided into panels corresponding in number to those of asection of the main board. In the case shown, there are three panels tothe section -in the main board, which is not a large exchange, but myinvention is not in any way limited to any special, size of switchboard.It will, however, find its greatest usefulness in eonnection with largeswitchboards. The lamps l on the auxiliary board are preferably 20- perstrip or 99 gage lamps, which are very small and therefore permit ofconcentration of all the answer signal into a comparatively small space.The operator of the auxiliary board may be provided with a telephone set5, and. one or moreorder wires 6, by which she may communicate with theoperators at the main switchboard through the receivers 7 or theoperator at the auxiliary board may communicate the signal to theoperators at the main board in any other desired way. A single operatorat the auxiliary board can readily 0bserve any signal lamp on her board,as they are allconcentrated into a relatively small area. On observing agiven signal, she communicates the number of the calling subscriber toan operator at the main board who answers the call and makes theconnection. Y By such an arrangement the same service may be gotten withconsiderably fewer operators at the main board, since they do not'haveto look out for the answer lamps on the main board at all.

In the 'case of a very large exchange, the auxiliary board may bedivided for two or more attendants who could read the calls Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for as they come in and give them to theline operators. The practical advantages of this arrangement will bereadily appreciated by any one familiar with the practical operation oflarge central switchboards.

Without limiting my invention to the specific embodiment thereof hereinshown and described, what I claim is:

The combination with a multiple telephone switchboard having answersignals which extend along the board without duplication over thehorizontal length of a plurality of switchboard sections, of anauxiliary board for answer' signals alone, one for each subscribers lineterminating in the multiple board, and operative connection between eachsubscribers line and a corresponding answer signal on the auxiliaryboard, said signals on the auxiliary board corresponding in number and.grouped in the same arrangement as the line jacks of a single section ofthe multiple board, the said auxiliary signals being thus soconcentrated that a single operator at the auxiliary board may observewithout change of position aknumber of answer signals requiring of anoperator at the multiple board movement over a considerable distance andso grouped that an operator at the auxiliary board may note the numberof the line jack required by observing the position of the auxiliaryanswer signal operated, in the same manner as an operator at themultiple board notes the number of a line j ack.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

COLUMBUS ODONNELL LEE, JR.

Witnesses:

FELIX R. SULLIVAN, NORMAN J. CLAGK.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.C.

